Diminished Immune Response and Elevated Abundance in Gut Microbe Dubosiella in Mouse Models of Chronic Colitis with GBP5 Deficiency

Guanylate binding protein 5 (GBP5) is an emerging immune component that has been increasingly recognized for its involvement in autoimmune diseases, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a complex disease involving inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Here, we explored the functional significance of GBP5 using knockout mice and wildtype mice exposed to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to generate chronic colitis model. We found that deficiency protected mice from DSS-induced chronic colitis. Transcriptome analysis of colon tissues showed reduced immune responses in knockout mice compared to those in corresponding wildtype mice. We further observed that after repeated DSS exposure, the gut microbiota was altered, both in wildtype mice and knockout mice; however, the gut microbiome health index was higher in the knockout mice. Notably, a probiotic murine commensal bacterium, , was predominantly enriched in these knockout mice. Our findings suggest that GBP5 plays an important role in promoting inflammation and dysbiosis in the intestine, the prevention of which might therefore be worth exploring in regards to IBD treatment.